Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Grimestorp 1297 LS

• Grimesthorp(e), Grymesthorp(e) 1346 YDviii 1366 Hlm 1383 Ipm 1822 Langd

• Grymysthorp 1537 FF

• Grymethorpe 1591 SheffMan

• Grymmesthorpe 1592 WillY

• Grymsthorpe 1623 FF

• Grimstrop 1657 WillY

Etymology

Grimesthorpe, Grimestorp 1297 LS, Grimesthorp (e ), Grymesthorp (e )1346 YD viii, 1366 Hlm, 1383 Ipmet freq to 1822 Langd, Grymysthorp 1537 FF, Grymethorpe 1591 SheffMan, Grymmesthorpe 1592 WillY, Grymsthorpe 1623 FF, Grimstrop 1657 WillY. Mention is made in DB of a manor called Grimeshou amongst the lands of Roger de Busli (who was also the principal tenant of Hallam, Sheffield and many other manors in this wapentake). Hunter (Hlm 24–26, 32n) may well be right in identifying Grimeshou with the locality of Grimesthorpe and taking it to refer to the two or three tumuli (marked as 'Embankment' in 1843 O.S.) on the end of the ridge near the old village (grid 103–372900). He supposes that the first element of Grimeshou is ON  Grímr, a by-name of Woden, and that Grimesthorpe therefore means Villa Diaboli ; in support of this he notes the nearby Hell-hole (v. f.ns. (b ) infra ) in Brightside. Whilst this may be true for Grimeshou , the use of a name for Othin with a habitative el. is improbable, unless Grimesthorpe is an elliptical formation ('farmstead near Grimes (hou )') of the kind we have in Upsland YN 221 (DB Upsale , later Uppeslund ). There are, however, examples of similar pairs of p.ns. containing the same pers.n., one denoting a settlement, the other the tumulus where the man was buried, as Granby and a lost Granehou Nt xxi (cf. EPN i, 235); cf. also Haggenby (Tadcaster East) pt. iv. Grimesthorpe is clearly 'Grím's outlying farmstead' and Grimeshou his mound or burial place, from the common ON  pers.n. Grímr and þorp , haugr .